Inspired by a course his sophomore year on Latino community engagement, David Leal ’26 has become a community builder.
When the Hispanic studies and psychology double major from Noblesville first came to Wabash, he intended to focus on chemistry and pre-med. Now Leal aspires to earn a Ph.D. in sociology. He will be attending the University of Chicago to pursue his master of arts in the social sciences in the fall semester.
Community not only informs Leal’s life—it empowers him.
“Community is the basis of everything I do and the relationships I form,” he said. “Even the research I do is community based.”
After completing a course with Visiting Assistant Professor of History Aiala Levy, he enrolled in an independent study with her. He also worked as a student intern for her and she oversaw his senior capstone project.
“She impacted me not only in the ways I approach the mythology in oral history interviews, but also that it’s important and necessary to research the Latino community,” Leal said. “She helped me realize this is something I can continue to do after Wabash, and that we matter.”
Levy saw Leal’s potential early on.
“365体育博彩_365体育app-彩票*官网 first met in Digitizing Immigration History, a 200-level course,” Levy said. “It was a small class and he stood out. His confidence, eloquence, and passion for the subject were all there.”
Leal’s capstone, “Latine Belonging in 365体育博彩_365体育app-彩票*官网er Education,” used community and alumni interviews to discuss how the intersection of immigration status and Latine identity can lead to barriers to higher education. He presented at the 26th Annual Celebration of Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Work and was awarded a Celebration Research, Scholarship, and Creativity award for the project.
Leal is the second oldest of five children and grew up sharing a home with his siblings, parents, and grandmother. He takes hope from his family and the example of hard work and perseverance his parents and grandmother provide. It was his father who first inspired him to be true to himself.
“365体育博彩_365体育app-彩票*官网 were on the way home from Wabash after Dad’s first visit, and he said, ‘The only thing stopping someone from doing or accomplishing something is their own fear. You can’t do anything if you have fear, so grab it, take it with you, and destroy it.’ That conversation felt very important to me,” Leal said.
“He was telling me that if I allowed fear to dictate my life, I wouldn’t be able to accomplish everything I want or influence the people I care about, such as when I left the pre-med track or about my own identities.”
It was conversations with friends that helped him settle into his true self.
“Luis Rivera ’25 and Javion Montgomery ’27 helped me find my place in the queer community,” he said. “I was comfortable with my sexuality, but being around other queer members was something I wasn’t comfortable with. Luis and Javion gave me the confidence to speak up against homophobia and apply for Rhyneship.
“They were the ones who impacted me socially, helping me become more confident in who I am, taking pride in who I am, and influencing me and the people I interact with.”
Rivera has witnessed Leal’s growth with pride.
“It was awesome seeing him come into his own and blossom through our friendship,” said Rivera. “The biggest turning point I witnessed was when he gave his Chapel Talk. He just took it and flew. It was really beautiful.”
On campus, Leal has been involved in Kappa Sigma fraternity, ’shOUT, La Alianza, the Sphinx Club, Public Health Organization, and Global Health Initiative—and they all play a role in making him who he is.
As Leal’s confidence grew, so did his willingness to lead within those organizations.
“It’s one thing to complain about all the things that you see going on, but it’s another to actually step in there and say, ‘I’m going to be the change I want to see,’” Rivera said. “Once he got confident putting himself out there, being president of ’shOUT and his fraternity presidency were ways for him to gain even more confidence, step out of his shell, and also create change in the organizations.”
Leal has also been deeply involved in the Latino Community Center.
“He got an internship with the LCC focused on alumni relations,” Levy said. “He used that internship to interview alumni and build connections with potential community partners.”
Leal recognizes challenges many in the Latino community face. He is committed to increasing access and belonging and helping overcome those barriers.
One of the things he is proudest of is Wabash’s Admissions Latine Day, providing bilingual services specifically for Latine people, allowing students and parents to ask questions in Spanish.
“365体育博彩_365体育app-彩票*官网 went to a meeting with administrators and teachers at the high school,” Levy added. “David started interviewing community members—parents, in particular—of students who had either already gone to college or were thinking about going to college, to get that community lens on access to and belonging in higher education for Latines.”
The inaugural event occurred this spring, with 15 students from Crawfordsville 365体育博彩_365体育app-彩票*官网 School attending a campus tour, a presentation on college admissions, lunch with current students, and a meeting with representatives from the Indiana Latino Institute. The goal is to expand this program to other high schools in coming years.
“David came to us with an idea from his research and it developed from there,” said Senior Associate Director of Admissions Tyler Wade ’12. “Obviously we have been growing our Latino population on campus for the last decade or so, but mostly with out of state students, so David’s work with the local community has definitely been a big win.”
Ultimately, Leal hopes his legacy of community-building at Wabash is one that continues through the students he has mentored and impacted. He looks forward to returning as an alumnus.
“I want people to continue the work I’ve started,” he said. “I’ve put a lot of work in and created a lot of different things. Now it’s time to pass the torch on.”
Leal’s Chapel Talk, “Assassins,” was published in Wabash Magazine as a Voices column and may be read online here: /news/story/13563.